There is theater that entertains, theater that makes you think, theater that touches the heart and stirs the soul, and every now and then, there’s a work of theater that achieves all of that, and in a way no other art form can.

The first of four performances of short works offered by the 10th anniversary Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival provided a little more than an hour of an eclectic variety of modern dance Friday night.

It is hard to imagine a more perfect show for southwest Michigan at the beginning of March to stave off the dreary doldrums of winter than “Once On This Island.” Visually warm and lovely, with music and performances this delightful, it’s impossible to not be transported to the French Antilles for a little over an hour in The Kalamazoo Civic’s excellent production of this mystical, marvelous tale.

This month, two accomplished Broadway performers are joining West Michigan Symphony for a night of Classic Broadway, featuring notable songs by some of Conductor Scott Speck’s favorite American composers.